Composite materials (or components) are materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties. when combined, they produce a material with characteristics different from the individual components, with the aim of using the benefit of both. Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machines are used for the manufacture of such composite components, by laying fiber strips (tows) along a mold in multiple layers in order to create a composite component having the shape of the mold. The fiber strips are placed along the mold in accordance with fiber laying trajectories that are input into the AFP machine to create a given component in accordance with a set of design parameters.
One of the challenges encountered when using AFP machines is the presence of features that necessarily occur when laying fibers on the surface of complex-shaped structures. These features, such as fiber gaps, fiber overlap and angle deviations, have an impact on the structural properties of the composite material. Existing methods of compensating for these features include adding more plies of material throughout the part to ensure that the final product meets strict guidelines for safety. However, this existing solution means more material added to the component, which leads to increased costs and increased weight for the component.